Ivory Kingdoms
The Ivory Kingdoms consisted of a collection of smaller principalities (with the rulers bearing the title of Raja) united under the rule of the Maharaja. The Ivory Kingdoms are similar in culture to the ancient South Asian civilization of what is now India. They have had limited economic and diplomatic contact with the Rokugani Empire over the course of both cultures' history. Society Caste The Ivory Kingdoms maintained a social caste system similar to that of Rokugan called the Kshatriya, much like samurai. They were organised into Houses that mirrored the Rokugani Great Clans with a Raja leading each House, though the territories of the Houses acted more like separate nation or kingdoms with deep political divides between them. Ruling over all the Houses was the Maharaja, a ruler who occupied a position analogous to that of Rokugan's Emperor. However, the Ivory Kingdoms' caste system was much more strict than it was in Rokugan, as individuals were not allowed to marry outside the caste of their birth, and were discouraged from even associating with those individuals who belonged to another caste. Some known Houses of the Kshatriya: * House Rafiq * House Suresh Views of outsiders The Ivory Kingdoms were a very large and powerful nation, and had one very distinctive trait that made its culture differ from that of Rokugan. This was the Ivory Kingdoms' tolerance for outsiders. The inhabitants of the kingdoms did not share Rokugan's xenophobic views of the world. They had sent many ambassadors to various nations in the world, including a strong presence in the city of Medinat al-Salaam. Science and Math With their dislike of magic use, the Ivory Kingdoms did not rely upon it much and as a result had advanced in math, science, and medicine to a far greater extent than Rokugan had. Magic Kshatriya held a deep and fearful respect for magic, seeing it as a force belonging only to the realm of gods and demons. War The general philosophy of the Ivory Kingdoms on war was that it was a last resort for defeated men. This was however not to say they did not enage in, or were unskilled in the arts of war, they had fought seven different nations in war, and were masters of many combat styles. Arms and Armour Shields *Dhal: A small cicular shield made of steel or brass. A type of buckler shield. Armour *Jazerant: Light armour constructed of scales and horns fastened to a vest of cloth with straps. Worn with an armored skirt. Often used by Kshatriya while in the Burning Sands. *Chain Mail: A Heavy armour, made of interlocked metal rings, Very protective, but weak to arrows and spear like weapons. *Brigandine: Light armour made of small metal plates quilted in between layers of cloth. Bows *Lezam: four foot long bow, tension was held by a large chain allowing 150 pounds of pull. Melee Weapons *Ankus: Sometimes called bullhook, elephant hook, or elephant goad, this was a tool used in the training of elephants. It consisted of a sharp, pointed hook (usually bronze or steel) which was attached to a two- or three-foot handle. *Bagh-Nakh: Also known as a tiger claw or a wagh nakh, this was a hand-to-hand weapon designed to fit over the knuckles or concealed under and against the palm. Usually made of metal, it featured between two and four claws, and was designed to slash through skin and muscle. *Chakram: A circular disc of metal with a sharpened outer edge. This was thrown at an enemy much like an oversized shuriken. *Jambiya: A small curved dagger that was generally decorated in some fashion. *Kukri: A weapon that ranged in size from a dagger to a short sword with a curved blade and a very sharp inside edge. *Tulwar: A curved sword that beared resemblance to a sabre, but was wider than a shamshir. Location The Ivory Kingdoms are located to the southwest of Rokugan on the opposite side of the Shadowlands. The Naga once inhabited this region but fled north after the First Burning of the World. Tales of a 'Cult of the Destroyer' continued to draw refugees from that race into the extreme south. The Ivory Kingdoms are located on the same continental landmass as Rokugan, and have access and trade agreements with societies in the Burning Sands and several other nations. While the exact size of the Ivory Kingdoms is still a subject of debate, it would seem their lands are larger than those of the Rokugani Empire, but this is only conjecture. Rokugan and the Ivory Kingdom In Rokugan, stories of the Ivory Kingdoms included reports of assassins who left burning footprints and ruthless warriors known as Kshatriya who wielded strangely curved swords. Trade The Crane and Mantis Clans fostered trade with the Ivory Kingdoms and the Ivory Kingdoms have been granted the right to post an ambassador to the Imperial Court. One of the Houses, House Suresh, is the primary trade partner of the Ivory Kingdoms with the Crane Clan. The Ivory Kingdoms maintained a wide variety of trade agreements. Rama Singh Rama Singh, a native of the Ivory Kingdoms, was fluent in Rokugani, and had had a great deal of experience with the Mantis Clan while acting as an ambassador to the Rokugani Empire. He had for the most part been charged with maintaining a supply of ginseng for the Maharaja. Rama was aware of the Rokugani xenophobia and understood their reasons, yet at the same time he hoped to help prove their ideas wrong through his and his people's example. In 1167 he swore fealty to the Mantis Clan, becoming Yoritomo Singh. Aramasu's War During the War of Spirits in Rokugan, Yoritomo Aramasu led the Mantis Clan in a different war. Within the Ivory Kingdoms a coup lead by the Cult of the Destroyer was under way to remove the Maharaja from power. Since the Mantis Clan was a long-time ally of the Maharaja, it came to his aid and with the help of the remaining loyal Houses of the Kshatriya, these allies restored the Maharaja to power. Fall of the Ivory Kingdoms It was not clear exactly when or how, but it seemed that the Ivory Kingdoms fell to the followers of Kali-Ma, the godess of destruction linked to Jigoku and worshipped by the Cult of the Destroyer. When a Mantis fleet attempting to get information on Kali-Ma reached the kingdom's shores, it found it essentially empty. The cities had been abandonned and there was little trace of its inhabitants. Only a few of them, former friends and family of Aramasu, had remained on the coast, watching on his fleet called Fourth Storm. The Ruined Kingdom, Part 1, by Shawn Carman After the revelation of the Ivory Kingdoms' fate, they became known to Rokugan as the Ruined Kingdoms. In 1173, following the defeat of Kali-Ma, Empress Iweko had a colony founded there, the Second City. Goddesses, Part 4, by Shawn Carman Known Champions * Complete Exotic Arms Guide, pp. 34, 72-73 Category:Ivory Kingdoms